SAN JOSE >> Viral images of raw pork being delivered to a San Jose grocery store in shopping carts have sparked an investigation by the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health.

Posted to Facebook by San Jose resident Loretta Seto, the images show men dressed in yellow slickers delivering the meat to the 99 Ranch Market at Hostetter Road and Lundy Avenue on Jan. 14.

“We were at the 99 Ranch Market across from this Costco and saw their vendors delivering meat with Costco shopping carts!” Seto wrote. “Talk about disgusting! I’m usually okay with sticking the kids in the seat of the basket, but this is a whole new level of gross.”

The Department of Environmental Health said in a statement it received complaints Friday about an “unauthorized delivery of pork” to the market.

“We are taking immediate steps to conduct a thorough investigation and appropriate actions to ensure food safety for the public,” the statement said. “Other regulatory and oversight agencies, including those at the federal and state level, shall be notified as appropriate.”

Maria Moon, an office manager for the company, confirmed to the Modesto Bee that the meat came from her company and said the two employees seen pushing the carts into the store have been fired.

“We are thoroughly investigating the incident,” she told the Bee. “This isn’t anything we typically do. When we send our products out, they are always in a combo bin and wrapped. That’s how it left our facility.”

Moon, reached by phone Saturday, declined to comment further until the investigation is complete.

“Whatever (the two employees did) is nothing we would have approved,” Moon said to the Bee.

The 99 Ranch Market apologized in a reply to Seto’s post, which as of about 10 p.m. Friday had collected more than 350 comments and been shared more than 1,140 times.

“On behalf of 99 Ranch Market, we are terribly sorry for this incident that happened in one of our stores,” the market said. “99 Ranch Market is committed to food safety and customer satisfaction. Therefore, we are taking the necessary steps to resolve this issue by investigating this case further and filing a complaint against our vendor. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

The apology was only partly satisfying to Seto. She worries that the same thing will happen again without good oversight from management.

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“I feel their apology wasn’t strong enough to address the issue,” said Seto, adding that she plans to continue shopping at the store for packaged items, “but definitely not their meat.”